State workers reach 4.5% raise deal

They chanted “Make him pay” last week. And this week, Gov. Jerry Brown appears to have answered the call of state workers.

The state’s largest public employee union announced Tuesday a tentative agreement with Brown that would provide across-the-board raises, a guarantee of no new furloughs and a host of other workplace benefits under a new three-year contract.

The Service Employees International Union Local 1000, which represents more than 95,000 state workers, said the provisional pact would hike wages 4.5 percent over three years in one of two ways: If the state meets certain revenue targets, employees would receive a 2 percent raise on July 1, 2014 followed by a 2.5 percent increase on July 1, 2015.

The entire 4.5 percent increase would be effective July 1, 2015 if the targets are not achieved in the meantime. Seasonal workers would see their hourly pay jump by $.50 an hour at the start of next fiscal year, union officials said.

In a statement, SEIU Local 1000 President Yvonne R. Walker said the union has achieved each of the top-four priorities identified by members: Protecting retirement security, preserving health benefit premiums, no new furloughs or paid-leave days and across-the-board raises.

Still, the proposed payouts are less than the union had called for. In April, state workers were seeking a $2,500 bonus in 2013 and a 7 percent salary increase in 2014 and 9 percent in 2015.

Last week, SEIU staged a large rally at the Capitol, saying employee raises had become a sticking point because Brown was pushing for a “revenue-neutral pact." Walker and others sought to highlight the union’s efforts in helping Brown pass his Proposition 30 sales and income tax increase. The measure was sold to voters as a schools funding measure.

Brown's office noted that there is no cost for the budget set to take effect July 1 of this year, as agreement would not kick in until July 1, 2014. (State workers are already due for a 3 percent raise next month under their previous contract.)

The tentative agreement must still be voted on by union members. The union says it will post details about the ratification process on its website on Monday.